Overheard my neighbor mention her grandma's cast iron skillet trick

I was outside sweeping my porch yesterday when Mrs. Patterson next door was on the phone talking about how her grandma used to season cast iron with bacon grease after every use, not just once. She said her skillet is 60 years old and still cooks eggs like new. Made me think about how we throw away so much stuff now that could be fixed up if we just took a little time. Has anyone else got an old kitchen tool they swear by that you refuse to replace?

2 comments

2 Comments

graydavis2d ago

Used to think old pans were just sentimental junk honestly. But Mrs. Patterson offered me a couple eggs from her skillet last week and they slid right off like butter. Kinda changed how I look at all the stuff in my kitchen now.

sarah_mason3d ago

Did you ever notice how those old cast iron skillets just get better with time, but our modern nonstick pans start flaking after a year or two? My buddy runs a campground and he's got this ancient Dutch oven that's been in his family since the 1920s, still making the best chili you ever tasted. It's got this deep black patina that looks almost wet even when it's dry, and nothing sticks to it no matter what you cook. That's the thing about cast iron though, it's not just the pan itself but the generations of seasoning that built up on it. Makes you wonder what else we're giving up on too soon, you know? Like maybe that scratched up wooden cutting board could be sanded down or that dented stock pot could be hammered back into shape with a little elbow grease.